The New York City Police Museum

10/25/2020

Curator’s Corner – On this Day – October 25, 1916 – the Floating Stationhouse is opened - In the fall of 1916, Police Department obtained a barge from the Dept. of Docks. On this barge, which measured 40’ x70’, the members of the Marine Division built a small stationhouse complete with a regular police desk, telephone, dormitory, sitting room, locker room as well as a second floor observatory. This stationhouse on the water could be towed almost anywhere by the PATROL, the main boat used by Harbor Patrol. The floating stationhouse, when not being used, was moored at Randall’s Island, and for a time served as the Harbor Precinct there. So in the days before a command post vehicle could be driven to the scene of an incident, the Floating Stationhouse was available. The Police Commissioner, Arthur Woods, was present for the ceremony, and is shown behind the desk, while the others squeezed in!

10/17/2020

Curator’s Corner – New Police Headquarters & The Last Police Parade – On October 16, 1973: Starting at Bowling Green, the last Police Parade held in NYC stepped off and headed north through the Financial District. The Police Parade was a long time tradition in NYC, starting in the 1850’s and lasting (off and on) until the 1930’s. The Parade was a time when the citizens could view, cheer, support and pay tribute to their Police Department, a day when civic pride was on display. As the 1973 parade reached Chambers St, it turned to the East and marched through the arch of the Municipal Building to the location of the new $58 million dollar home of the NYPD – 1 Police Plaza. Upon arrival, dedication ceremonies were held, the ribbon was cut and speeches were given. Although the focus of the day was on the new structure, a great tradition was revived that day – the Police Parade.

09/11/2020

The Anniversary of the September 11th Attacks - we remember those lost on that day, as well as the many lost since - due to 9/11 related illnesses #neverforget

05/23/2020

Today we celebrate the birth of the modern NYPD - 175 years of service!

05/21/2020

NYC Police Benevolent Association

‪49 years ago POs Waverly Jones & Joseph Piagentini were assassinated in the line of duty for simply wearing the shield. Horrifyingly, 1 of their killers was paroled & the other, Anthony Bottom, is up for parole. Please go to https://www.nycpba.org/community/keep-cop-killers-in-jail/ to keep their killers in jail‬

05/11/2020

Police Memorial Week - let us remember our brothers and sisters in blue that have gone on before us, especially those that have made the supreme sacrifice. #neverforget

04/16/2020

Curator’s Corner – On This Day April 16, 1912 – Rank of Doorman is abolished: The precinct Doorman, an official NYPD rank below that of Patrolman was a combination turnkey/custodian – he was responsible for the upkeep of the stationhouse, guarding and sometimes transporting prisoners, shoveling coal and taking out the ashes. They would also make sure the men were awake after reserve duty. One Doorman, Daniel Bailey lost his life in the line of duty; while transporting prisoners, his patrol wagon was struck by a runaway train. On this day in 1912, 193 Doorman became Patrolman – with a nice raise as the top pay for Doorman was $400 less than Patrolman. For many of these newly minted Patrolmen, their shield and pay may have changed, but their duties did not – after all, someone still had to ……..

09/24/2019

Curator’s Corner – On this Day – “Use your gun as you would your lipstick” – On September 24, 1943 the department starts the roll out of the first black leather combination gun and makeup shoulder bag designed and donated by former Police Commissioner Grover A. Whalen, then Chairman of the Board for Coty Cosmetics. It contained a holster, a lipstick in medium red, a compact and a red plastic case of rouge. Mayor LaGuardia cautiously counseled the women: "Use your gun as you would your lipstick - use it only when you need it and use it intelligently. Don't overdo either one. Be quick on the trigger when you have to be." Women wore these combination holster-make-up handbags until the unisex uniform and holster gun belt was made mandatory in 1973.

09/16/2019

Curator’s Corner – On This Day September 16, 1920 – Wall Street Bombing – In the days when a horse and cart could still be seen in NYC, a man steered an old horse down Wall Street around lunchtime. He stopped the wagon and its load in front of the U.S. Assay Office, across from the J. P. Morgan building in the heart of Wall Street. The driver disappeared and a few minutes later the cart exploded killing more than 30 people and injuring some 300. In addition to explosives, the cart was loaded with lead window sash weights, which became shrapnel that was spewed throughout the area. The police rushed to the scene, to assist the injured, break up the crowd of 40,000 onlookers and restore order to Wall Street. In addition to the damaged buildings, (some of the shrapnel marks can still be seen today on the Morgan Building and Federal Hall) another problem was GOLD! Some $900 million was stored at the Sub-Treasury building and authorities were afraid of looting. A forensics search yielded 2 of the horse’s shoes, and Detectives were able to trace them to a blacksmith that remembered shoeing the horse, but he didn’t remember the driver. This case was never solved.

09/11/2019

The Anniversary of the September 11th Attacks - we remember those lost on that day, as well as the many lost since - due to 9/11 related illnesses #neverforget

09/08/2019

Curator’s Corner – On this day, September 8, 1664 - Invasion!! Peter Stuyvesant surrendered the Dutch Colony of New Netherlands, to the English. The entire colony, as well as the capital, New Amsterdam would be renamed New York, for the new “owner” James, Duke of York, brother of the English King. The government would now change to the English system; the Schout would now be called the Constable. This invasion had another, lasting effect on the NYPD – as the English Seal of the City of New York, or “SIGILLUM CIVITATIS NOVI EBORACI´ would be emblazoned on everything from Police Shields, Cap Devices, Car Doors, Patches and Buttons. Well, the Dutch were not out of the picture for good for two reasons – in 1673, the Dutch would have their own invasion and retake the City, and call it New Orange (the English won it back in November of 1674) and the final “word” on the subject was the date on the Seal was changed from 1664 to 1625, in remembrance of the early settlers of Manhattan the Dutch. Most NYPD equipment had the Seal without the date one exception - the police button.

07/14/2019

Curator’s Corner – On This Day – July 14, 1863: Civil War Draft Riots Continue – The Stationhouse of the 18th Precinct, at 163 East 22nd Street is attacked. The Police Museum is very fortunate to have the original Command Log of the Eighteenth Precinct; one of the only surviving remnants of the command after it had been attacked by rioters and burned to the ground. The Command Log entry for Tuesday July 14, 1863 reads as follows: "Fire and Destruction of the Station House / At 8 P.M. the Station House of the Eighteenth precinct was attacked by a Mob of Rioters who commenced the attack by demolishing the windows and doors with stones: after which they set fire to the building which was consumed by the flames together with all its contents. The only articles saved was the blotter, time book, telegraph book and nativity book. Also several of the men lost all their uniform and other clothing together with beds. Sergeant Bunden with two policemen who were in charge of the building were compelled to make their escape through the rear onto 23rd Street from the violence of the Mob." The stationhouse of the 23rd Precinct at East 86th Street and 5th was also destroyed.

07/13/2019

Curator's Corner - On This Day - July 13 - Two of the Biggest Riots in NYC history happened on the same day - albeit 114 years apart. July 13, 1863 was the start of the Civil War Draft Riots. The New York working class, unhappy about being drafted into the army, while the rich could buy their way out, tore up the town, killing 120 people and causing millions in damage. On July 13,1977 a blackout caused by a lightning strike at a Consolidated Edison substation along the Hudson River, tripped two circuit breakers and set off a chain of events that results in a massive power failure. The entire city of New York was blacked out, parts of it for more than 24 hours.Unlike previous blackouts, the 1977 event saw lawlessness on a scale not seen since the Civil War Draft Riots in 1863. Looting and vandalism were wide spread. When all was said and done, over 1600 stores were damaged/looted, a thousand fires were set and 3,776 people were arrested. It was estimated that over $300 million in damages were done ($1.2 billion in today's dollars). A busy night - both times - for the N.Y. Police

07/12/2019

Curator’s Corner – On This Day – July 12, 1870/1871 The Orange riots took place in Manhattan, on the same date in two consecutive years between Irish Protestants, called "Orangemen", and Irish Catholics. Grievances from the Old World spilled into the New; the 1870 melee started when a parade was held in Manhattan by Irish Protestants celebrating William of Orange’s victory at the Battle of the Boyne. (William, a Protestant, defeated England’s King James – a Catholic, in a battle for the English Crown.) Which side started this mess is unknown, as both sides taunted and harassed each other till the situation escalated. The resulting riot was quelled by the Police, but only after scores were hurt and 8 people died. The 1871 version of this conflict was almost prevented as City fathers refused to let the parade take place. The Governor stepped in, and the parade proceeded – and turned out to be bloodier than the 1870 march. This time over 150 people were injured, including over 20 Police Officers, with over 60 people killed. The Orange Riots are all but forgotten today, but at the time, they were significant and were proof that the police force, recently (1870) returned to municipal control, could keep the city safe.

07/09/2019

Curator’s Corner – On This Day - The First Police Stationhouse: The first building constructed specifically for policing purposes in New York was the Watch House, which opened on July 9, 1734. The building was a 2 room wood frame structure 28’ long by 18’ wide, built for a cost of 60 pounds (we were still a colony back then). The building was used by the night watch who patrolled from dusk to dawn. Located at Broad and Wall Streets, this first “police stationhouse” also featured an outdoor cage to house prisoners, as well as a whipping post and pillory, used to punish early offenders. It stood until 1789.

07/05/2019

Curator’s Corner – On This Day – July 5, 1915 – Headquarters Bombing – Around 9 p.m., a bomb was detonated at Police Headquarters, then located at 240 Centre Street, right under the windows of the Detective Bureau. Shattered glass flew through the squad room but luckily nobody was hurt. Men were knocked from their chairs, and hundreds of windows were broken for blocks around. The bombing was blamed on anarchists.

07/04/2019

Curator’s Corner – On This Day – July 4th, 1940 – A nice day, and a great day to be off – Independence Day! Ferdinand “Freddy” Socha was home, enjoying the day with his family, when the telephone rang. On the line was Joseph Lynch, his partner and Joseph wanted Freddy to come with him to the World’s Fair, but not for a day of enjoyment. A bomb was found, and as both were Detectives in the NYPD’s Bomb Squad, they headed over to help. While over 150,000 visitors were enjoying their day at the Fair, members of the Bomb Squad had isolated a bag that was found in the British Pavilion – a bag that was ticking. While examining the bag, the time bomb detonated, killing both Lynch and Socha and injuring 5 other officers. Thousands attended their wakes and funerals, including the legendary Babe Ruth. Both received the Medal of Honor posthumously, and had a plaque dedicated to them in Flushing Meadow Park, the location of both World’s Fairs. The crime remains unsolved to this day. #neverforget

06/30/2019

Curator’s Corner – On This Day – June 30, 1975 – LAYOFFS: For the first and only time in the history of the department (including the Great Depression), the NYPD was forced to layoff police officers. The Department Magazine, SPRING 3100 reported: “Det. Al Goodman, an instructor at the Academy, offered condolences to his laid-off students on the morning of June 30th. Later that day he was shocked to receive his own pink slip. The next day he met many of his former students on the registration line for unemployment benefits. But, Al was lucky. Four days later he got a reprieve -he was one of 2000 people to be rehired.” Hopes for a quick rehiring were dashed by October of that year when the Federal Government refused to bail out the City. Many officers were not as fortunate as Detective Goodman; it took almost 4 years to rehire everyone.

06/30/2019

Did you know...The NY YANKEES and the NYPD had the same Boss?
Curator’s Corner – On this day in History – June 30, 1898 – William “Big Bill” Devery was appointed Chief of Police. Under well-documented suspicion for corruption (on numerous occasions) he beat all charges and stayed on the job. As a Captain, he was even terminated, but beat the charges in court, and the department was forced to take him back. Reformers even changed the structure of the department, in part to get rid of him. The “Chief of Police” title was abolished and replaced with a new Chief Executive Officer - Police Commissioner. No problem for Devery, Big Bill then became 1st Deputy Commissioner and for all intents and purposes, continued to run the department! His various “activities” yielded him a fortune. He was immortalized by journalist Lincoln Steffens: “As a Chief of Police, he is a disgrace, but as a character, he is a work of art”. Upon retirement, he and business partner Frank Farrell, bought a baseball franchise that became the NY Yankees. The story goes, when Big Bill was looking for a logo for his team, he borrowed the interlocking “NY” from the Department Medal.

06/28/2019

Curator’s Corner – On This Day – June 28, 1911: SAMUEL J. BATTLE First African American Police Officer is hired by the NYPD. As the son of former slaves, Samuel Battle was undaunted by racial barriers and became the first African American to join the force as a Patrolman. Battle decided to join the NYPD in 1910, at a time when no African American had been hired after the consolidation of New York City in 1898. After quietly fighting his initial rejection, Battle was appointed to the NYPD on June 28, 1911. Battle also achieved two historic promotions, becoming the NYPD’s first African American sergeant in 1926, and the first African American lieutenant in 1935. In 1941, after 30 years on the force, Mayor Fiorello H. La Guardia appointed Battle the first African American parole commissioner in New York City. He served in this position until 1950. Battle died in 1966 at the age of 83.

06/16/2019

Curator’s Corner – On This Day – June 16, 1857 – Battle of the Badges : A law was passed in 1857 to switch control of the police department from the City to the State government. A new force, called the Metropolitan Police was formed by the state and started patrolling New York. The one problem was that the old force, the Municipal Police, refused to disband. So for a while, there were two separate police departments patrolling New York. The two departments spent much time fighting each other for everything from stationhouses to prisoners. The fighting led to what was known as The Police Riot. When the state force tried to arrest NY Mayor Fernando Wood at City Hall, the two forces would up in a bloody donnybrook on the steps of City Hall. It just so happened that the Seventh Regiment was marching by to get on a ship, and the state forced appealed to them for help. The Municipals couldn’t fight the Army, so they allowed the Mayor to be arrested. The Municipal force was soon disbanded. The department was now run by the state, but only until 1870 when control of the police would be returned to the city.

06/15/2019

Curator’s Corner – On This Day – June 15, 1904 : The General Slocum, a 264 foot side wheeled steamboat, left the 3rd Street Pier and headed north taking over 1,200 people for an outing on North Brother Island. Shortly after the start of the trip, a fire broke out and destroyed the ship, killing over 1,000 people. The NYPD was there, for both rescue, and later recovery. Two members of the Harbor Patrol were awarded the Medal of Honor for their work. Honorable Mention was awarded to 10 other officers. Patrolman James Collins and Herbert C. Farrell, of the Bronx’s 40th Precinct, along with a sailor Olaf Jensen saved the lives of 24 people. Another Patrolman, Simon Blumel was awarded the Lifesaving Medal.